Green Paper ducks challenge of sustainable transport policy

In its long-awaited Green Paper on transport,¹ the Government has ducked many of the key challenges thrown up by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's 1994 report (ENDS Report 237, pp 14-18 ). No national targets have been set to curb the growth in traffic, and the RCEP's calls for a doubling of petrol prices and improved fuel efficiency of vehicles have been brushed off. However, the Government has promised a higher priority for public transport investments, integration of trunk road developments into the regional planning system and new traffic restraint powers for local authorities.